Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-09-15
Educ .tT!ONAL.
Penmsns ship Branch ur Fducation which
Materially 4 gects Every Child.
a Successful Plan to Incite Interest In
Studics-rub.ic Opinion.
PENuANsHIP.

|
We speak of penmanship not as =
fine art, but rs a branch of education
which materially affects every child
whether destined to become a profess.
ioaal man, mechanc, or laborer,
Every one should nave good, plain
| handwriting. and should obtain it in
the public schools.
This Is purely gymnastic exercise.
and should be acquired by the greatest
precision and accuracy. The Simple
| thing TO be accomplished is the
making Of n perfectly smooth line BY
both nibs Of the pen. Secure an erect,
easy position; both feet squarely
| planted on the floor; knees al
4 little more than right angle; forearm
on the table; elbow never drawn back
of right angle. Slide on the nail OF
third finger; let the pen rest ia the
thumb and lir't two iingers. Give a
great mamy simple exercises in move
ment. Thorough work in position md
movement, holding the pupils to the
same in all Their writing, will give
each child an excellent handwriting.
The average student in the high
school cannot write more than ten
words per minute, while, after proper
training, he will easily reach fifteen.
This makes difference of forty
minutes in two hours writing. The
hand writing reacts upon the mind
and usually indicates the mind
The three essentials 20 Il good hand
writing are legihility, ease, and
rapidly. The best business writers
are those who have stu;iied some sys-
tenn thoroughly until they can write an
accurate copy. afterwards modifying
this to admit of rapidly.
A child who is old enough to 20 to
school can be taught to keep his feet
fiat upon the floor This should DC
insisted upon, for if the feet are out OF
position the whole body will be
affected. If they are thrown back
under the seat too much weight will
be PIT upon the arms, and they will be
thrown out upon the desk too far, inter-
fering with the movements of the hand
and the slant oil the letters; if thrown
too far forward the body must be
thrown back to balance, and very soon
the pupil IS in Il sioVchy position. The
body should be STRAIGHT and slightly
inclined forward, bat not to bring any
great weight upoa tlc arms. The
arms should be thrown out from the
body nearly to the corners of the
ordinary schuol-tlesE, but never beyond.
This will bring the eyes within from
thirteen to fifteen inches of the paper,
the right distance. The paper, or
book, should be placed on the desk
at an angle Of forty degrees; then, by
simply swinging the hands toward the
body, every downward stroke will slant
fifty-two degrees.
If child at six writes with short,
blunt pencil on slate he viii make
very poor letters, the hand will be in
bunch, and the forefinGer will describe
one side OF a pyramid He will con-
tract a habit that will require years
of patient, hard work to overcome.
This is nothing but bad habit con-
tracted by the Use of little slate
pencil at the beginning of his career,
but he will always think it natural. II
he had boon given a long, sharp pencil,
with a good slate, ruled 10 indicate the
height of every letter, and taught to
point the pened over the shoulder, al
ways taking position described above,
he would have formed habit which
would have given him good hand
writing.
In the sccond year use lead pencils,
choosing those taat are neither too
hard nor 700 soft.
One vor} important thing aimed at
IS to carry iight hiad. ii a large,
broad-pu'ntod pa he used this cannot
BIZ done; 4 2 vcIF ire one be used it
will soon wear ont, so We take the
middle ground aud use a pen of
medium point and feasibility. Ink
should be jet black and flow freely
THE pen is ~ gat;er taap the sword,
and She tcac!ig wh0 would attempt to
assist il having it skilifuliy welded
must exercise care have patience, and
perseyerc, remembering especially
that ''He who is faithful in that which
is least, is faithful also in much. -
". F. Lyon, Youngstown, Ohio.